Improvement in ratchet-wrenches



Unire autres rrien..

ArnNr WILLIAM PIRSSON, OF' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN vRATCHET-W'RENCHES.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PIRSSON, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State oi" New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRatchetWrenches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, formin g part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a top view ot a wrench with my improvement, having a portionof the stock and ratchet-socket broken away to exhibit the method ofsecuring the said socket in the stock. Fig. 2 is a side view, showingpart ot' the stock broken away to exhibit tli'e construction ot' thesocket.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

'lhis invention relates to ratchet-wrenches provided withinterchangeable sockets fitting screw-bolt heads and nuts of differentsizes and shapes 5 audit consists in certain improved means of securingthe ratchet-sockets in place in the stock of the wrench, and ofliberating them when it is desired to remove them from the stock tocliauge the different sizes.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe its construction a-ndv operation.

A B is the stock of the wrench, consisting ot` a head, A, ot` circularor other suitable forni externally, and a handle, B.

rIhe head A has a circular openingright through it, as shown at a a inFig. 2, and this opening is countersunk on one side, as shown at b b inthe same figure.

G is a ratchet-socket having a portion of its exterior turned orotherwise finished to fit the opening a, and furnished externally with acircumferential series of ratchet-teeth, c c, which are received withinthe countersink b. In the portion of the exterior of the socket belowthe ratchet-teetli there is a circumferential groove, d, for thereception of one end of a lever-like catch, D, which is fitted into amortise cut through the head A. perpendicularly to the axis of itscircular opening and entering the said openin 0'. This catch, whichserves to hold the socket in the stock, is secured in the stock by meansof a'fulcrum-pin, c, which is inserted through holes in the catch andstock. The other end of the said catch has screwed through it a screw,s, the head of which projects outward from the stock in a convenientposition to be pressed inward by the thumb while the stock is held inone hand, such pressure serving to draw the inner end of the catch outof the groove d -and liberate the socket.

-A spring, j', Fig.`1, is applied within the mortise to press the catchinto the groove (l and keep it therein when there is no pressure on thehead ot' the screw s or other end of the catch 5 but in order to preventthe catch from being accidentally withdrawn from the groove l the screws is kept screwed up to the back of the mortise in the stock until it isdesired to take out or change the socket.

E is the pawl by which the ratchet-socket is `caused to turn with thestock when the latter is moved in one direction, but which slips overthe ratchet-teeth c c without turning the said the ratchet-teeth by aspring, 7i, is inserted into a cavity in the Lipper side of the socketand secured in place and covered up by a plate, c', which is screwed orotherwise secured on the upper side of the stock.-

To take out the ratchet-socket C the screw s is first screwed out somedistance. The wrench is then held in one hand with the th uinb againstthe head of the screw, which is then pressed inward to withdraw theinner end of the catch D from the groove d, andthe socket may then belifted out from the stock, or will drop out it the stock is invertedfrom the position shown in Fig. 2.

To put in and secure another socket the wrench is held in the positionshown in Fig. l-tliat is to say, with the countersink b upward-and whilethe screw s is pressed in by the thumb the socket is dropped into the.opening a, where it is stopped by the ratchetteeth resting on thebottom of the countersink in a proper position for the catch to enterthe groove d, andthe pressure of the thumb being` removed the catch ispressed into the said groove by the spring f. AThe screw s is thenscrewed in again to make the catch secure.

The advantage ot' this improvement consists in the great facility itaffords for the removal tiel groove, d,`in the exterior1 of theratchetsoeket, the whole arranged substantially as herein described.

2. The screw s, in combination with the catch D, substantially as andfor the purpose herein specified.

\ WM. PIRSSON.

Witnesses HENRY T. BROWN, J. W. OooMBs.

